Vintage Japanese Hand Made Wood Hida Shunkei Lacquer Chataku Tea Saucer

This is a vintage Japanese wooden lacquered saucer for sencha styled tea cups called a Chataku . It is made of Hida Shunkei lacquer ware and hand crafted in Gifu prefecture in the early. This type of natural lacquer ware has been famous in Japan for centuries. What makes Hida Shunkei lacquer ware so special is the way that the beauty of the surface of the wood is brought out by the application of a transparent coating of lacquer. It is produced by a special method from raw natural lacquer and used to coat the wood. The technique is still used today in the making of many household items such as trays, boxes of many kinds, as well as tea ceremony items. There are some 95 firms employing over 250 skilled specialists, 31 of which are nationally recognized as Master Craftsmen. This Chataku will be prized for years to come and remains in very good condition. There is single bristle of the brush used to apply the lacquer embedded in the underside of the chataku visible in picture 6.It is made of hand crafted cryptomeria wood with over 20 coats of Japanese special natural urushi lacquer and measures 4 3/4" in diameter and 1/2"high.